Guzmania plant named ‘Holiday’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Guzmania  plant named ‘Holiday’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly arching plant habit; green-colored foliage with purple-colored striations towards the base; inflorescences held upright and above foliage on strong scapes; inflorescences with closely-spaced dark purple-colored flower bracts that are tipped with white; and long-lasting inflorescences that maintain good coloration for about two to three months.

Botanical designation: Guzmania sp.

Variety denomination: ‘Holiday’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Guzmania plant, botanically known as Guzmania sp. and referred to by the cultivar name ‘Holiday’.

Guzmania is native to tropical America. Leaves of the Guzmania are usually formed as basal rosettes which are stiff and arranged in several vertical ranks. Guzmania have terminal flower spikes of panicles which are often bracted with petals united in a tube about as long as the calyx.

The new Guzmania is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Lithia, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new Guzmania cultivars with a plant habit appropriate for container production, desirable flowering habit and inflorescence coloration and good postproduction longevity.

The new Guzmania originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in Lithia, Fla. in March, 1996, of the Guzmania sp. cultivar Ultra (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 8,221 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,563), as the female, or seed, parent with the Guzmania lingulata cultivar El Cope, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The cultivar Holiday was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in a controlled environment in Lithia, Fla., in May, 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new Guzmania by off-shoots in a controlled environment in Lithia, Fla. since Jul. 7, 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Guzmania are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations. Asexual reproduction of the new Guzmania by tissue culture done in a laboratory in Sebring, Fla. since September, 1999, has also confirmed that the unique features of this new Guzmania are stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Guzmania has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of ‘Holiday’ and distinguish ‘Holiday’ as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly arching plant habit.     -   2. Green-colored foliage with purple-colored striations towards         the base.     -   3. Inflorescences held upright and above foliage on strong         scapes.     -   4. Inflorescences with closely-spaced dark purple-colored flower         bracts that are tipped with white.     -   5. Long-lasting inflorescences that maintain good coloration for         about two to three months.

Plants of the new Guzmania can be compared to plants of the female parent, the cultivar Ultra. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lithia, Fla., plants of the new Guzmania differed from plants of the female parent in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Guzmania were larger than plants of the         female parent.     -   2. Plants of the new Guzmania and the female parent differed in         foliage color.     -   3. Plants of the new Guzmania had larger and taller         inflorescences than plants of the female parent.     -   4. Inflorescences of plants of the new Guzmania had many         white-tipped terminal bracts whereas inflorescences of plants of         the female parent had relatively few white-tipped terminal         bracts.

Plants of the new Guzmania can be compared to plants of the male parent, the cultivar El Cope. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lithia, Fla., plants of the new Guzmania differed from plants of the male parent in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Guzmania were smaller and more compact than         plants of the male parent.     -   2. Plants of the new Guzmania grew more rapidly than plants of         the male parent.     -   3. Plants of the new Guzmania had dark purple-colored flower         bracts whereas plants of the male parent had bright red-colored         flower bracts.

Of the other commercial Guzmania cultivars known to the Inventor, none compare well to the new Guzmania due to its unique combination of leaf and flower bract coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Guzmania, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Guzmania.

The photograph on the first comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Holiday’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Holiday’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

All color references are measured against The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition. Colors and numerical measurements are approximate as plant growth and development depends on environmental conditions and cultural practices such as light level and temperature, among others, without, however any variance in genotype.

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and the following description were about 12 months old and grown in 12-cm containers in Lithia, Fla., in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse with day temperatures ranging from 24 to 35° C., night temperatures ranging from 18 to 24° C. and light levels about 1,500 foot-candles.

-   Botanical classification: Guzmania sp. cultivar Holiday. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Guzmania sp. cultivar Ultra (U.S.             Plant Pat. No. 8,221 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,453,563).         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Guzmania lingulata cultivar El             Cope, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.         -   Time to initiate roots on tissue-cultured plants.—Summer:             About two weeks at temperatures of 26° C. Winter: About             three weeks at temperatures of 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted tissue-cultured plant.—Summer:             About 15 weeks at 26° C. Winter: About 18 weeks at 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, wiry, fibrous; moderate branching;             initially greenish white becoming brown in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Compact, upright and outwardly arching             plant habit. Closely layered strap-like leaves arranged in a             basal rosette. Appropriate for 10 to 12-cm containers.         -   Plant height, soil surface to top of inflorescence.—About 24             to 27 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 55 to 62 cm.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Basal rosette, spiral             phyllotaxis; sessile. Quantity of leaves per plant: Plants             typically produce about 28 leaves prior to inflorescence             development. Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire.             Length: About 40 to 50 cm. Width (flattened): About 2.5 to 3             cm; width at base, about 5.7 cm. Aspect: Blade, channeled;             leaves curved outward over their length and downward towards             the apex. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Leathery,             stiff; glabrous. Venation: Parallel. Leaf sheath: Not             observed. Color: Developing and fully expanded leaves, upper             surface: Darker than, but closest to 137A; striations             towards the base, 187C. Developing and fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: 147B; striations towards the base             187C. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: Same as lamina. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Inflorescence form.—Terminal inflorescences with showy             primary bracts; inflorescences supported on erect and strong             scapes.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences of the new Guzmania             are very long-lasting; bract coloration is maintained for             about two to three months. Inflorescences persistent.         -   Natural flowering season and time to flower.—Plants flower             throughout the year and begin to flower about 13 to 16 weeks             after floral induction.         -   Flowers.—Arrangement: Single flowers at the terminal of the             inflorescence; one flower per terminal bract. Quantity per             flower spike: About 150 flowers and flower buds. Corolla:             Arrangement: Three petals, gameopetalous. Length: About             4 cm. Width: About 4 mm. Color: 155D. Calyx: Arrangement:             Three petals, gameosepalous. Length: About 2.5 cm. Width:             About 5 mm. Color: 155B. Reproductive organs: Stamens:             Quantity per flower: Six. Filament length: About 2.9 cm.             Anther length: About 5 mm. Anther color: 150D. Pistils:             Style length: About 3.4 cm. Style color: 155D. Ovary:             Superior with three locules. Length: About 1 cm. Color:             145D.         -   Bracts.—Quantity per flower spike, terminal bracts:             About 175. Quantity per flower spike, primary bracts:             About 12. Quantity per flower spike, scape bracts: About 14.             Shape, terminal bracts: Ovate in shape becoming narrower and             more strap-like towards the apex of the inflorescence;             apices, bluntly rounded; margins, entire. Shape, primary             bracts: Ovate; apices, acuminate to cuspidate; margins,             entire. Primary bracts are arranged in closely-spaced             vertical ranks along the inflorescence. Shape, scape bracts:             Lanceolate; apices, acute; margins, entire. Scape bracts are             arranged in 1.5 cm-spaced vertical ranks along the             inflorescence. Length, terminal bracts: About 5.5 cm.             Length, primary bracts: About 7 to 10.2 cm. Length, scape             bracts: About 12 to 22 cm. Width, terminal bracts: About             1.5 cm. Width, primary bracts: About 2 to 2.5 cm. Width,             scape bracts: About 2.9 cm. Texture, all bracts, upper and             lower surfaces: Leathery; smooth. Color: Terminal bracts,             upper and lower surfaces: 187C to 187D; apices, 155D;             towards the base, 157D. Primary bracts, upper and lower             surfaces: 187B; apices, 187A; towards the base, 157D. Scape             bracts, upper and lower surfaces: 187C; lower scape bracts,             similar in coloration and appearance to the leaves.         -   Scape.—Strength: Strong. Aspect: Typically erect. Length:             About 23 cm. Diameter: About 1 cm. Texture: Smooth. Color:             154D.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Guzmania have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from about 4 to 40° C. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Guzmania have not been     observed to resistant to pathogens and pests common to Guzmania. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Guzmania plant named ‘Holiday’, as illustrated and described. 